Shade-roller construction



Oct. 23, J. K. TOMLINSON SHADE ROLLER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 18, 192720 4 JO/ J2 Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1 1,688,563 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN K. TOMLINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHADE-ROLLER CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 18, 1927. Serial No. 169,196

My invention relates to a shade roller construction.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved shaderoller construction which will prevent accidental release of the shaderoller.

A further object of my invention 1s to provide a shade rollerconstruction in which one of the bracket engaging pins is adjustable inand out in order to enable the shade roller to be used without having tocut oil the end with any great degree of precision in fitting the rollerto the brackets.

Further objects will appear from the description and claims.

In the drawings, in which an embodiment of my invention is shown,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the shade roller;

Fig. 2 is an axial section of that end t shade roller provided with thespring and latch construction;

Fig. 3 is an axial section of the other end of the shade roller;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fi 3' v o y I I Fig. 6 18 aperspective v1ew ot the stationary pawl engaging member; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the pawls.

Referring to the drawings in detall, the construction shown thereincomprises a wooden roller 10 to which the shade is attached, pawlcontrolled spring means 11 at one end of the roller for controllingrotation of the roller, and a spring pressed pin 12 at the other end ofthe roller for engaging the supporting bracket.

The pawl controlled spring means for controlling rotation of the shaderoller comprises a non-rotatable pin 13 engageable with the rollersupporting bracket, a non-rotatable wooden rod 14, into which the end ofthe pin 13 is fitted, a coil torsion spring 15 having one end secured at16 to the wooden rod, a pawl mounting drum or barrel 16 to which theother end of the coil torsion spring is secured, a plurality of pawls 17pivotally mounted in this pawl mounting barrel, and a pawl engagingmember 18flnon-rotatably mounted on the non-rotatable pin. The pawlmounting drum is .rotatably mounted. on the cylindrical journal portion19 of the non-r0 tatable pin is secured to the end. of

wooden by, means a cap ferrule 20 having a flange 21 which holds thepawl mounting drum in position and having its end crimped inwardly asshown at 21 to bite into the wooden roller and hold the cap with thepawl mounting drum securely in position.

Each of the pawls, shown in detail in Fig. 7, has a pair of oppositelyextending pintles 22 which litsomewhatloosely in openings 23 at theopposite ends of the mounting drum thus providing a pivotal mounting forthe pawl. The pawl mounting drum comprises a cup-shaped member 25 and acover member 26, the cup member and cover member having interengagingmeans to position them properly with respect to each other and the capmember having lugs 27 struck up therefrom to provide for the connectionof the end of the coil torsion spring 15.

The point of the pawl 17 has two oppositely extending lateralprojections 29 the purpose of which, as will be explained more fullyhereinafter, is to co-operate with the pawl engaging member 18 toprevent accidental release of the shade roller.

The pawl mounting drum 16, the pawl 17, and the pawl engaging member 18may 7 axis of the shade roller, a pair of oppositely disposedsemi-circular plate members 32 havingsemi-circular apertures 33 toreceive the semi-cylindrical port-ion of the non-rotatable pin 13, andarcuate flange portions 34 extending toward each other from theapertured plate portions, these arcuate flanges overlying andcooperating'with the two oppositely extending lateral projections. 29 onthe pawl to prevent accidental dis-engagement of the pawl from thecentral abutment member. In order to permit the entry of the point ofthe pawl into engagement with the abutment member, the two arcuateflanges are cut away as indicated at 35, sufliciently to permit theentry of the wide point of the pawl. The distance between the adjacentedges of the arcuate flanges is greater than the width of the narrowportion 36 of the pawl (but less than the width. of the wide peint.ofthe' pawl, so: that the peruse of the pawl can. travel in the spa'ebetween these flanges. The flanges will prevent the wide portion 29 of thepawl from escaping from confinement by the flanges 34 except at thepoint where the flanges are cut away. v

As shown in Fig. 4, the curved substan tially semi-cylindrical portion35 f the pin, which lies between the two semi-circular plate portions32, serves to premnt the point of the pawl from approaching too closelythe axis of the shade-roller, which might perhaps result in a bindingaction between the pawl and the abutmentwhich would be detrimental tothe action of the pawl and the pawl engaging member.

The operation of the end of the shade roller just described, is asfollows:

If the shade is in lowered position and held by the engagement of thepoint of one of the pawls with'the central non-rotatable abutment plate,as shown in Fig. 4, and it is desired to raise the shade, the shade isfirst pulled down far enough to cause the wide point 29 of the pawl tobe withdrawn at the cut away portions of the retaining "flanges 34 andthe shade is then quickly released,

I wnereupon the coil torsion spring 15 will cause rapid rotation of theshade roller and centrifugal force will cause the pawls 17 to flyoutwardly to prevent their engagement with the pawl engaging member 18.To stop the shade in the desired position, the movement of the shade isarrested to prevent centrit'ugal force from acting on the pawls 17 tothrow them outwardly and the shade is allowed to be rolled slowly upwarduntil the wide point 29 of the pawl enters underneath the overlyingretaining flanges 34 through the cut away places 35 and comes to a stopagainst the abutment plate 30. It will be seen that the overlyingflanges 34 will eflectually prevent accidental disengagement ot the pawl17 from the abutment 30, as the shade roller would have to be rotated asubstantial d1- tance, far enough to bring the wide point of the pawlopposite the cut away places 35 in the flanges 34 in order for the pointof the pawl to be released from its engagement with the pawl engagingmember.

Referring now to the other end of the shade roller; the spring pressedpin construction comprises a sheet metal housing or barrel 37 fitted inan axial recess in the end of the shade roller, a coil compressionspring 38 seated in this metal housing and the bracket engaging pin 12telescopically mounted in this housing and pressed outwardly by thespring 38. In order to hold the telescoping pin 12 in the housing 3.against the action of the spring 38 the pin is reduced in diameter asindicated at 39 to provide a shoulder portion 40 which cooperates with astop member 41 which may be struck inwardly from the sheet metal housing37; The bracket engaging portion of the pin 12 which enters the roundhole in the roller out the necessity for extreme accuracy in cutting offthe end of the wooden rollerto suit the distance between the twosupporting.

brackets. i

lVhile I have described but oneembodiment of my invention, it is obviousthat many modifications therein may occur to those skilled in the art,and- I desire, therefore, that my inven-' tion be limited-only by thescope of the appended claims and by the prior art.

I claim:

' 1. A shade roller holding construction comprising a pawl rotatablewith the shade roller, and moved to non-holding position by centrifugalforce when the shade roller is rotated, said pawl having a lateralprojection and means cooperating with said pawl for holding th sl'iaderoller against rotation, comprising an abutment member for engaging thepawl to stop rotation of the roller and a laterally extending retainingflange which overlies the lateral projection of the pawl when the pawlis in holding osition, to. prevent accidental release of the s ladsroller.

2. A shade roller holding construction coinprising apawl rotatable withthe shade roller,

and moved to nonh olding position by centrifugal force when the shaderoller is rotated, said pawl having a pair of oppositely extendinglateral projections and means cooperating with said pawl for holding theshade roller against rotation, comprising an abutment member forengaging the pawl to stop rota'- tion of the roller, and a pair oflaterally extending retaining flanges which overlie said lateralprojections,respectively, when the pawl is in holding position, toprevent acci' dental release of the shade roller.

3. A shade roller holding construction con'iprising a pawl rotatablewith the shade roller, and moved to non-holding position by centrifugalforce when the shade roller is rotated, said pawl having a pair ofoppositely extending lateral projections and means cooperating with saidpawl for holding the shade roller against rotation, comprising anabutment member for engaging the pawl to stop rotation of the roller, apair of laterally extending retaining flanges which overlie said lateralprojections, respectively, when thepawl is in holding position, toprevent accidental release of the shade roller," and a barrel enclosingsaid abutment and flanges in the end walls of which barrel said pawl ispivotally mounted.

III)

4. A shade roller holding construction comprising pawl rotatable withthe shade roller, and moved to non-holding position by centrifugal forcewhen the shade roller is rotated, said pawl having a pair of oppositelyextending lateral projections and means coope'ating with said pawl forholding the shade roller against rotation, comprising an abutment memberfor engaging the pawl to stop rotation of the roller, and a pair oflaterally extending retaining flanges which overlie said lateralprojections, respectively,

when the pawl is in holding position, to prevent accidental release ofthe shade roller, said flanges and abutment being formed as integralparts of a sheet metal member.

5. A shade roller holding construction comprising a pawl rotatable withthe shade roller, and moved to non-holding position by centrifugal forcewhen the shade roller is rotated, said pawl having a pair of oppositelyextending lateral projections and means cooperating with said pawl forholding the shade roller against rotation, comprising an abutment memberfor engaging the pawl to stop rotation of the roller, and a pair oflaterally extending retaining flanges which overlie said lateralprojections, respectively, when the pawl is in holding position, toprevent accidenta-l release of the shade roller, said flanges andabutment being formed as integral parts of a sheet metal member, saidsheet metal member comprising also a pair of apertured plate membersextending transversely of the axis of the shade roller from which platemembers said flanges extend toward each other, and a bracket engagingpin fitted in said apertures.

6. A shade roller holding construction comprising a pawl rotatable withthe shade roller, and moved to non-holding position by centrifugal forcewhen the shade roller is rotated, said pawl having a pair of oppositelyextending lateral projections and means cooperating with said pawl forholding the shade roller against rotation, comprising an abutment memberfor engaging the pawl to stop rotation of the roller, and a pair oflaterally extending retaining flanges which overlie said lateralprojections,respectively, when the pawl is in holding position, toprevent accidental release of the shade roller,

said flanges and abutment being formed as integral parts of a sheetmetal member, said sheet metal member comprising also a pair ofapertured plate members extending transversely of theaxis of the shaderoller from which plate members said flanges extend toward each other,and a bracket engaging pin fitted in said apertures, said pin having asemi-cylindrical portion lying between said plates for guiding the pointof the pawl into engagement with said abutment.

7 A shade roller holding construction comprising a pawl rotatable withthe shade roller, and moved to non-holding position by centrifugal forcewhen the shade roller is rotated, said pawl having a pair of oppositelyextending lateral projections and means cooperating with said pawl forholding the shade roller against rotation, comprising an abutment memberfor engaging the pawl to stop rotation of the roller, and a pair oflaterally extending retaining flanges which overlie said lateralprojections, respectively, when the pawl is in holding position, toprevent accidental release of the shade roller, said flanges andabutment being formed as integral parts of a sheet metal member, saidsheet metal member comprising also a cylindrical shield portionsubstantially coaxial with the shade roller for preventing the point ofthe pawl from approaching too closely to the axis of the shade roller.

8. A shade roller holding construction comprising a pawl rotatable withthe shade roller and moved to non-holding position by centrifugal forcewhen the shade roller is actuated, and means cooperating with said pawlfor holding said shade roller against rotation and preventing accidentalrelease thereof, comprising a member having an opening into which thepoint of said pawl enters and having means for holding the rolleragainst rotation engaged by said pawl when the roller has rotated asubstantial dis tance past the position where the point of the pawl hasentered said opening, whereby the roller has to be rotated a substantialdistance in the reverse direction before the point of the pawl iswithdrawn from said opening.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN K. TOMLINSON.

